Yoga Instructor | Yoga Training Instructors
YOGA IS BOOMING, BUT HOW QUALIFIED IS YOUR INSTRUCTOR?
Swami Satchidananda is considered by many to be the guru of the American yoga craze. He is perhaps the single most influential person in introducing yoga to the United States. His philosophy on yoga is that when properly practiced, it should result in the promotion of a peaceful mind, an easeful body, and a useful life.
Indeed, as the average person's stress level rises in her attempt to thrive in an ever more demanding and fast-paced society, yoga has become an integral part of the American fitness landscape. Yoga classes feature prominently and are among the most popular classes offered by nearly every fitness center. The early morning yoga class is a superb way to start the day and millions of people look forward to leaving work and unwinding in the sanctuary provided by their gentle-voice yoga teacher.
Yoga Training Can Be A Question Mark
But how well trained is that person at the head of the class describing and demonstrating the breathing techniques and endless array of thousand year-old positions that we all find so relaxing and healthful? The answer is: It varies widely.
There are no real training standards used by health and fitness clubs to assess or hire yoga teachers. The length of the programs at which they trained, if they have any formal training at all, may vary from a weekend course at a health spa to years of study under the direct tutelage of a recognized yoga master.
Some yoga teachers began as students selected by their own teacher to help out or fill in as an instructor. But those who choose to pursue the teaching of yoga as a serious sideline or even a career should first seek more advanced and formal instruction. There is a multitude of choices for those seeking advanced yoga training. The yoga community and fitness industry both offer training options.
Yoga Teaching Standards
An organization called The Yoga Alliance has set a standard of two hundred hours of training for qualified teachers. Their training requirements are broken down into categories, each allotted a certain number of study and practice hours. These categories include: teaching method, techniques, physiology, anatomy, and philosophy. Schools of yoga instruction may register with the Yoga Alliance if their curriculum meets these standards.
As an ageing population recognizes yoga as an excellent low-impact exercise that provides relief from tight muscles and arthritic-related conditions, the market for yoga classes will no doubt continue to increase. To meet this demand health and fitness clubs will respond by expanding group training options for their members. As this occurs the demand for hiring yoga instructors will increase proportionately. To make sure youre getting qualified instruction, you may want to check your instructors training background.